A Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has addressed the critical objections surrounding tax reform bill by Northern leaders. He urged a shift away from the constraints of regionalism and religion, advocating instead for a focus on effective leadership as the key to resolving the country’s ongoing issues.
He highlighted that many respected Northern leaders have raised concerns about the timing of certain decisions and reforms, suggesting that this perspective reflects a misunderstanding of the concept of time in leadership. He emphasized that the present moment is what truly matters, arguing that the past and future are shaped by our current actions. He contended that leaders should prioritize the immediate implications of their decisions rather than being overly concerned with the timing of initiatives. He argued that if a decision is deemed beneficial, the appropriate time to implement it is now, rather than delaying for future considerations.
He said in a live coverage by Channels TV from 3:34, ‘Let’s look at some of these objections that have been raised, and I will address the question of leadership. We should remove the cap of regionalism and religion and put on the cap of leadership, because that is what will resolve the current problems that we have. And I think one of the major objections relates to the issue of timing. I’ve heard this even from leaders that I respect. But in leadership, when you talk about timing, the way I have heard them talk about it is a tragic misconception of the notion of time itself. Because there’s nothing like the future, and there’s nothing like the past.
All we have is now, and it is what you’re doing now that will become your past. It is what you’re doing now that will affect your future. So, the question before us as leaders is not to look at what the president is doing or what the tax reform bill committee has produced. I don’t even care if it was part of the president’s agenda. All I am bothered with as a leader is, is it the right thing? Then, if we come to the conclusion that it is the right thing for us to do, then the time to do it is now, not tomorrow.”